A Little overdue....

OK, I originally planned the first one for Friday Night. The second on Saturday. Sleep had other plans Friday night. Saturday? The old saying: "The best laid plans...." Here is the first actual article on Musikfest. Best advice: Follow the updates on "In the Moment..." http://avalleyandbeyond.weebly.com/in-the-moment-blog.html

So far, the music variety is excellent! Between the North and South sides you will find almost every genre. So far, what I have seen; actually attended: Jazz, Rock, Pop and Country. Yes, there will be short reviews on one or two tonight. Starting today, I will be doing full music reviews.

Time to give you a quick

Basically, you have 2 sections: The North and South side. The North side starts at Main and Broad sts. and continues to Lehigh. Cross the New (Fahy) bridge. Hang a left onto 3rd. Head down to Artsquest / SteelStacks for the Southside part. Check the map.

Musikfest Northside

Musikfest Southside

Here are a few tricks and some useful information based on my experiences so far:1) Moving around: Find a spot to park. Walk around, even between both sides. There are "satellite" parking lots in places like Westgate Mall. Lanta Bus Company and others run shuttles to and from these non-site lots. You will go crazy and waste a lot of time trying to drive around Musikfest.

2) Food and Beverages: The Northside has more in this area. You will not go hungry or thirsty on the Southside, trust me on this one. There is variety everywhere. Places I have tried: Bethlehem Dairy and Artsquest. There is one difference between the two. The food / beverages on the Northside: you have to buy tickets for all the stands / vendors. Southside? Tickets are accepted, even at Artsquest. Don't have tickets? Cash / Credit also accepted! You will not go hungry or thirsty. Average prices? From what I have seen, mid-range restaurant. Walk around, they do vary. Official Musikfest mug: $10.00 and $12.00. Refills at Musikfest: $7.00. The mugs are 22 oz. While you are walking around, why not sample some of the local restaurants? Check out Main, 3rd and 4th sts. without going too far.

3) The crowd? There is a difference between the North and South sides. I will be posting photos / video later tonight. Northside, especially in the evening: literally, an ocean of people. Honestly, picture rush hour traffic in any major city and translate that to walking / pedestrian. Southside is more mellow. It is still packed, but has a more relaxed, non-chaotic feel to it.

4) Arts / music? So far, I have seen all the artists on the Northside. The music and stages are split. Good luck trying to see every band / musician!!! I have missed a few already. One advantage, over half are doing more than one show on different days.

5) Safety? Bethlehem police are doing a great job moving around and staying very visible! At 11 p.m., there is a wall of mounted police followed by bike, vehicle and foot officers.

7) Available information while you are there? Several tents are available. Volunteers and staff are all over the place! From experience they have no problem answering questions. Very friendly and helpful.

5) Overall suggestion: Use the website and mobile app for the most up to date information, seriously.